The natural world is ripe with stories more incredible than the human mind can possibly fathom. Similarly, some of the most engaging science fiction is set within the boundaries of real phenomena. For example, the tale of a human-eating plant—a legend that dates back to at least 1881, and one that has been popularized by the 1960 American film The Little Shop of Horrors—may seem more feasible after learning about the carnivorous Venus...